Locomotive boiler firebox



Aug. 22, 1944. G. J. CHRISTENSON LOCOMOTIVE BOILER FIREBOX Filed Sept. 16. 1939 as? (/rifinson; 4/

Patented Aug. 22, 1944 LOCOMOTIV E BOILER. FIREBOX Gust I J. Christenson, (Chicago, Ill., assignor to Locomotive Firebox Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application September 16, 1939, Serial N 0.295340 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ccmotive boiler fireboxes and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

of temperature changes.

proceeds.

In the drawing:

the arch appearing in dotted lines.

tion, is made.

throat sheet [3 and fluesheet I4.

I5 is the outer rear boiler sheet, 16 the outer side sheets and H the outer throat sheet. The said sheets cooperate with the top sheet of the boiler in forming the back water leg l8, side water This open- With such a joint One of the objects of the invention is to pro- 5 legs l9 and the front throat 20 respectively, all vide a locomotive boiler firebox including a simin mm nic ion with the w r space 2| of the ple and efi'icjent means affording a, better water b01161. 22 indicates the mud ring. The inner circulating action between both side water legs d t r back sheets e formed to provide a and the boiler water space above the crown sheet nv n i l f l door p ni as appears in and which means is so constructed as to brace the 10 Fig. The foregoing y be taken as pcrown sheet and t t Same t permit t tive of a conventional firebox and associated amount of relative movement which occurs bep t at the real end of a locomotive boilertween the sheets of the firebox under the action In the firebox is located one more Water steaming and circulating elements having upper Another object of the invention is to provide a Portions that Q through h crown Sheet locomotive boiler firebox having one or. more side a lower portlons that open preferably through sheet ch-culators therein which may be mamb the side sheet of the firebox so as to connect the matured at a relative low cost and which may be side water legs with the boiler water space above readily altered by the removal of end parts to the crown The number of Such elements make the same fit different sizes of fireboxes or depends upon the Size and type of the firebox diff t parts f the Same fi box so that a and as shown in Fig. 1 there are five of such elerality of such circulators may be installed in a ments 23, 24, 25 and 27 spaced apart longilongitudihahy spaced relation therein tudinally and arranged transversely of the fire- Again, it is an object of the invention to prob l l Vide a side sheet circulator made from Counter 25 Said elements are all similar in construction part tubes and formed at the mid port-Inns with and differ in the length of certain of the parts substantially matching mortise openings secured thereof so that a description of one element will together in a, pressure tight relation sufiice for all. Each element is made from a pair The above mentioned objects 0f th invention, of substantially counterpart and preferably seamas well as others, together with. the advantages less tubes 2828' {Each with straight upper end thereof, will more fully appear as the specification portwn Stralght lower end portion 30 tending at an'angle of more than 90 to the up- I per end portion and connected thereto by a lon- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view gitudtna'ny curved K mid portion In through a locomotive boiler firebox embodying one side of the longitudinally curved portion of the preferred form of the invention, as taken on tube 15 mended 0peI.1mg the line of 2, with the center brick of mg 1s of a diameter approximating that of the outside diameter of the tube and has its axis F1 2 i a transverse vex ical ecti all spaced to one side the axis of the tube in which throigh a part of the firebox appea ring i n 40 the opening made as bfast shown by.the fun as taken on the nne,2 z of said Fig; L and dotted lines A and B in Fig. 3. Sam open- Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged mg g h fi on? slde f the tgbe to leave a le as taken along the curved line 3-3 on Fig. space W 10 recelves t at po-rtlon 34 9f ighe 5 side wall of the other or companion tube in line through of the {Improve/f1 S1de sheet clrcu with or opposed to the space 33 of its opening. iatlilg fi p i the mYentlon- When two of such substantially counterpart Fig. i 15 a view in side elevation of one of the tubes are assembled together, with the edge f tubes from which the improved water steaming t opening in one tube engaged with the edge and Circulating clement, embodying the i of the opening in the companion tube, they will be disposed in a crossed relation and are opera- Bcfcrring now in detail to t t embodlment 0f tively secured together in this relation by a line the invention illustrated in the drawing, the fircof welding 35 so as to form a pressure-tight mgrbox therein shown includes a crown sheet H], intise-like joint at this point. nerside sheets ll,'inner back sheet I2 and inner connection, it is apparent that the interiors of said tubes are in communication with one another. If desired, those opposed portions 34 of both tubes may be tied or connected together as by a stay bolt 36.

When the tubes have been assembled as before described, they provide an element of substantially an X shape but wherein the upper end 29 of both tubes are disposed substantially upright or vertical and the lower end of said tubes diverge outwardly and downwardly from the junction of said two tubes at an angle that corresponds to the angle of lateral inclination of the arch, when such an arch is to be present in the firebox. The said ends 29 of said tubes, which function as the outlet legs for the element as a whole, are each engaged in an opening provided therefor in the crown sheet and are welded in place as at 31 to the crown sheet. The said ends 30 of said tubes which function as the inlet legs for the element as a whole, are each engaged in an opening provided therefor in the side sheets and are welded in place as at 38 preferably to diaphragms 39 in said sides sheets. With this arrangement of the tubes, the axes of both tubes comprising the element are offset from each other, longitudinally of the firebox, the distance between the lines A-B before mentioned.

When an arch, as before mentioned, is present in the firebox, it is made up of transverse half rows of brick 58 that rest at their front and rear ends upon the inlet leg portions 30 of the various water steaming and circulating elements. The inner end of each transverse half row of brick terminates short of the junction of the two tubes embodied in each of such elements. This leaves a space between the inner ends of each half row of brick and this space in turn is closed by center brick 4| that rest at their side margins upon the inner end of each half row of brick.

In the operation of the boiler of which the firebox forms a part, the tubes of each element absorb heat units from the products of combustion. Due to the thermic head thus produced, water and steam are discharged through the outlet end of the tubes into the boiler water space above the crown sheet and water is drawn in from the side water legs at longitudinally spaced points along said legs. As the water passes upwardly along the inlet legs, the two streams of said legs meet at the junction or crossing of both tubes of the element, with a turbulating action, and a part .of such water seeks its own outlet through the outlet legs, and the other part of said water is evaporated or generated into steam.

Thus a continuous circulatory action is established, the influence of which is exerted in all directions in the side water legs so as to there produce a turbulence which prevents the settling out of solids at the bottom of said legs. Also, due to the gushing or discharge of water from the outlet end of the tubes, a constant flooding of the crown sheet is effected which insures its complete submergence. Thus, even though the water level in the boiler falls below normal, it is assured that the same will at all times be covered with Water.

The tubes, of which the elements are made, are preferably of seamless metal and may be bent to shape without cracking.

While in describing the invention, I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limitedthereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a locomotive boiler firebox including front, rear, side and crown sheets, a water steaming and circulating element in the firebox made from two separate tubes, each having a substantially upright portion that opens at one end through the crown sheet and a second portion that opens at one end through another sheet of the firebox and arranged at an angle with respect to the first portion, the other end of both portions of each tube being connected by a rounded, kneelike junction portion which has an opening therein, the junction portions of both of said tubes being disposed in crossing relation with the edges of the openings therein engaged and secured together in a pressure-tight manner and affording communication between said tubes at said junction portions.

2. In.- combination with a locomotive boiler firebox including side sheets and a crown sheet, a water steaming and circulating element arranged in and extending transversely of the firebox and made from two tubes, each having a substantially upright portion that opens at one end through the crown sheet and a downwardly and laterallyv inclined portion that opens at one end through an associated side sheet of the firebox, the other end of both portions of each tube being connected by a junction portion which has an opening therein, the two tubes intersecting each other in the firebox with the junction portions of both of said tubes being disposed in crossing relation with the edges of the openings therein engaged and secured together in a pressure-tight manner and affording communication between said tubes at said junction portions.

3. In combination with a locomotive boiler firebox including front, rear, side and crown sheets, a Water steaming and circulating element in the firebox made from two tubes, each having a substantially straight upright portion that opens at one end through the crown sheet and a second portion that opens at one end through another sheet of the firebox and extends away therefrom at an inclination, the other end of both of said end portions being connected together by a curved junction portion of substantial radius and which junction portion has an opening in one side thereof at substantially its mid part, the junction portion of both of said tubes being disposed in crossing relation at said sides having the openings therein, with the edges of said openings engaged and secured together in a pressuretight manner and affording communication between said tubes at said junction portions.

4. In combination with a locomotive boiler firebox including front, rear, side and crown sheets, a water steaming and circulating element in the firebox made from counterpart tubes, each having a straight upright portion that opens at one end through the crown sheet of the firebox and is disposed at an angle of approximately with respect to said first portion, the other end of both portions of each tube being connected together by a curved junction portion which has an opening in one side thereof, the junction portions of both of said tubes being disposed in crossing relation with the edges of the openings therein engaged and secured together in a pressure-tight manner and affording communication between said tubes at said junction portions.

5. In combination with a locomotive boiler firebox including side sheets and a crown sheet, a water steaming and circulating element arranged in and extending transversely of the firebox and made from counterpart tubes, each havthrough one side thereof, the junction portion of both of said tubes being disposed in crossing relation with the edges of the side openings therein engaged and secured together in a pressuretight manner and affording communication between said tubes at said junction portions.

GUST J. CHRISTENSON. 

